Tree Trimming and Removing
Federal headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison for the Tree Trimming and Removing occupation series (code 5042), drawn directly from the OPM FedScope dataset (June 2026).
The verdict
Tree Trimming and Removing is a smaller, specialized federal occupation: 62 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce) in the Plant and Animal Work Family family. At an average salary of $75,736 it pays below the federal average of $117,339.
- Employees
- 62
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $75,736
- Avg tenure
- 10 yrs
FedScope read on Tree Trimming and Removing (thin series)
Federal agencies employ 62 people in the Tree Trimming and Removing occupation (OPM code 5042), accounting for 0.0% of the total federal civilian workforce of 1,953,300 for the June 2026 reporting window. Headcount in this occupation moved sideways by 0.0% versus the prior period, though at this small a headcount, year-to-year swings can reflect a handful of hires or departures rather than a broad hiring trend.
Tree Trimming and Removing pays $75,736 per year on average, moving up 0.0% from the prior period (a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change). Employees in this role stay an average of 10 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.
Code 50, the Plant and Animal Work Family family, is where the federal government classifies Tree Trimming and Removing alongside 6 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Tree Trimming and Removing postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Plant and Animal Work Family family.
Tree Trimming and Removing makes up 4.2% of the 1,470 employees across the Plant and Animal Work Family family, ranking #6 of 7 occupations in that family by headcount.
Salary context · lean-pay series
How Tree Trimming and Removing pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$75,736
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-35.5%
Where Tree Trimming and Removing ranks on lean federal pay
Its average salary of $75,736 is higher than 32% of federal occupation series (172 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Tree Trimming and Removing sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Tree Trimming and Removing ranks higher than 32%.
Related Occupations in Plant and Animal Work Family
6 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gardening | 465 | $67,401 | 11.9 yrs |
| Animal Caretaking | 307 | $58,156 | 8.7 yrs |
| Pest Controlling | 289 | $72,091 | 13 yrs |
| Miscellaneous Plant and Animal Work | 249 | $68,338 | 9.3 yrs |
| Insects Production Working | 97 | $55,565 | 8.6 yrs |
| Farming | 1 | $71,083 | 28.5 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this thin headcount
Two peer sets for Tree Trimming and Removing outside the Plant and Animal Work Family family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar thin headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (62 here).
Similar lean average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($75,736 here).
Key takeaways
- Tree Trimming and Removing pays below the federal average by 35.5% ($75,736 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 32nd percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 62 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Tree Trimming and Removing ranks #516 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Tree Trimming and Removing makes up 4.2% of the 1,470 employees across the Plant and Animal Work Family family, ranking #6 of 7 occupations in that family by headcount.
OPM FedScope and Federal Workforce Data figures are federal civilian headcounts, average salaries, and length-of-service statistics - not job-quality scores, hiring advice, or a live vacancy listing. A larger or higher-paid agency is not a better employer.